Gold Means Everything
by MadmanRoberto123
Summary: This is the tale of a Pirate Republic, which tries to keep it's home afloat, but is thrown into disarray when a heiress abandons her family, and joins them. Can they survive? Or will they end up at the bottom of the ocean? Rated M for safety.
1. The Ice Queen

**A/N: Welcome to Gold Means Everything, the Pirate AU! I think it's safe to say that the rule of one story at a time has been thrown out the window. Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Prologue**

"Alright, lads. We'll give you Team ARKS's honest opinion!"the man in shadow said to the whole tavern, resting his feet on his table, before sitting up straight to reach for a bottle of rum nearby. "You ask us if these new captains can offer you a lifetime of prizes, plunder, and adventure? Aye! For amongst all the men and women of fortune sailing these here seas, they rank among the most clever."he continued, leaning back and uncorking the bottle. "There was a time when we thought ourselves the deadliest scourges of these seas. But these three, are fearsome dogs that feed off trouble and turmoil. We've seen them clear the deck of an Atlesian galleon like it were nothing. Fighting like devils, dressed as women. And they're canny ones, know their way around every crag, and crevice of these islands." Sitting back in his chair, he continued onto the last part of his story. "So if it's fortune and adventure you seek, then Captains Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long are your gals! Only..."he said, stopping to swig his drink before finishing with a serious glare in his eye, "Don't meddle in their private affairs. For there's more mystery in those three, than even I dare ask..."

Funny that the man in shadow said that, as just at that moment, miles away, a frigate flying nothing more than a black swatch of cloth with a shield and two axes on it was sailing away from a bunch of burning vessels. All that was heard were the screams of the poor sods who had injuries so severe they were attracting the sharks and were devoured, and the singing of the crew of the ship sailing away.

* * *

"Full sail, lads! I'd like to be back at Beacon by this time tomorrow!"the red wearing captain bellowed, passing the wheel to the woman on her left, before vaulting over the railing and landing on the deck, turning on the spot, and entering her cabin. On entering, the woman saw the chest full of the stolen riches she had garnered the past few weeks. Smiling at how far she'd come, she decided to get some rest for the night. Laying her head down on the makeshift bed, she quickly dozed off.

It was extremely early the next morning, before the whole ship was woken by the bell, and there was a cry of "Land ho!" Looking over the railing, the captain saw a huge tower piercing the sky, with a small town at it's base. Smiling to herself, she was caught off guard by the shship's third-in-command Blake placing a hand on her shoulder and saying, "Well, Captain Rose. We made it. Welcome back to Beacon..."

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1- The Ice Queen**

"Weigh anchor!" Ruby ordered, her crew immediately doing so, while she worked the wheel of her ship to make sure that they were aligned with the dock. A few seconds later, her sister Yang shouted from the bow of the ship, "Anchored!", which allowed Ruby to easily manoeuvre the ship to a stationary position. As the whole crew applauded, as they did every time one of their captains managed it, Ruby released the wheel, before stating to her crew, "My gratitude at your adoration, friends, but I think that we should all have some drinks. Who's with me?"she asked, the whole ship roaring in agreement. With that, the plank was lowered, and the ship was quickly disembarked.

A few minutes later, Ruby, Blake and Yang were heading to the local tavern, where they saw their old friends Team ARKS, consisting of: Ryan Clougherty, who could certainly be as charming as he was deadly, Kayleigh Murphy, who certainly looked cute, but was just as likely to dismember someone in a blind rage as she was to shake their hand, Shannon McCafferty, who was a superb shot, claiming to have shot the wings of a fly one time, while the insect still lived, but no one believed her too much, and, last but not least, their leader, who also happened to be both the founder of the settlement of Beacon, as well as the most feared pirate in all the waters of Remnant, Adam Robertson, who could silence a whole room by simply entering it. This was the power of the raw fear that exuded from the man. Luckily, Teams RBY and ARKS had been good friends before they turned to pirating, so they all got along well, meaning they wouldn't be subject to Adam's "gift", as he liked to call it. Ryan, Kayleigh and Shannon didn't hear them enter, as they were too immersed in a game they were playing.

* * *

Looking at who was approaching, Adam's face was solemn for a second, before it cracked into a wide smile, as he stated, "Well, aren't you three sights for salty eyes. In you come and have a drink!", snapping his fingers to get the bartenders attention. "Get our friends some drinks, will ya? Put it on my tab!"he said, chortling as the man leaned underneath the bar and withdrew three bottles of rum, passing them over to Ruby, Yang and Blake, whispering, "It's on the house!"as he did so.

"So, word around here is that you three took on the Schnee Company. Destroyed at least 3 of their frigates, if I heard correctly. Care to explain that?"Adam asked, as the three girls sat down. Smiling, Ruby took a swig of her drink before replying. "That we did, Adam. Hit them hard and hit them fast, like you taught us. We managed to send two to the depths, before we boarded the last and looted the lot. That resulted in a nice little bit of plunder for Beacon's coffers, if we do say so ourselves."she said, causing Adam to smile before there was the blast of a horn heard throughout the town. "Sail Ho! Unknown flag sighted!"was the accompanying cry, which caused the group at the tavern to jump to their feet.

"Damn it, this is the third time this month! This is getting ridiculous!"Adam said out loud, before turning to the rest of his group, which now had Ryan, Kayleigh and Shannon with them. "Right, you lot, get down to the dock and get ready to fight!"Adam ordered, his friends nodding and quickly dispersing. Heading to the top of the tower at the centre of town, Adam took the spyglass from the lookout and peered through it. He then saw the ship that had been sighted, noticing that it's flag was a light blue cloth with a twelve pointed snowflake on it. "Oh, shit! Schnees!"Adam said, causing the lookout to pale in the face.

And understandably so, as the Schnee Company were notorious for not only being prejudiced against Faunus, which were people with animal characteristics, but also selling them as slaves, as well as leading the charge against piracy. This made them a prime target for the Pirate Republic in Beacon, as they took every opportunity to make life difficult for ocean-goers. Now, while the inhabitants of Beacon were stereotypically portrayed as amoral, murdering, slavemongering bastards, most, if not all, of them were actually good hearted, as was the case with Ruby, Yang and Blake, or were open to helping others, which is why Beacon was founded.

* * *

Turning his attention back to the intruding ship, Adam noticed something disconcerting. "The ship's not turning to fire. Odd behaviour for a Schnee vessel, don't you think, considering they usually shoot on sight?"he asked, handing the spyglass back before heading out the room without waiting for an answer.

After putting his legs through hell to reach the docks, Adam shouted to every pirate that was present, "Do NOT fire unless ordered to! Understood?", the whole crowd of men, women and Faunus pirates murmuring confirmations. "Good."Adam stated, turning back to the dock, before the Schnee Company frigate slowed to a halt, and a figure slid down a rope to the dock. Expecting it to be a regular run-of-the-mill Schnee Company captain, he was pleasantly surprised to see it was instead a girl who looked around the age of Ruby, 20 years old, give or take a year or two. He couldn't place his finger on it, but the girl looked awfully familiar to him in some way. It wasn't until the girl took off her hat, revealing a bunch of white hair kept back in a ponytail, that he realised who she was.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise! Miss Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Company, as I live and breath!"Adam said, most of the gathered pirates raising their weapons and stepping forward, before Adam held up a hand to stop them. "What can we do for you, Miss Schnee?"Adam asked, the girl pulling a piece of paper out of her pocket in response. She then cleared her throat, and began to read:

* * *

 _To be read by whomever carries it,_

 _This declaration is an offer to all pirates of the settlement known as Beacon to renounce their criminal lives and take up the lives of privateers. Also, their criminal records would be expunged, resulting in complete anonymity. Any pirate who refuses this pardon will be hanged by the neck until dead._

 _Please make the right choice._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Bartholomew Schnee_

 _Head of the Schnee Trade Company, Grand High Treasurer of the Atlesian court, and Guardian of the Seas._

* * *

As Weiss finished reading the announcement, the gathered pirates burst into outrage, before quickly being silenced by Adam firing a pistol into the air. Turning back to the heiress, Adam smiled, while saying, "I'm afraid there's our answer, so you can run along and tell your father where he can shove his pardon." He was surprised to see Weiss smile, before ripping the parchment into many equal sized pieces. "I'm not planning on returning to my father any time soon."she stated, catching the pirates off guard. "Sorry, I'm a little slow here, so correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't that count as disobeying a direct order?"Adam asked, Weiss nodding. "Yes, it would be. That's the plan. I'm sick and tired of being used as nothing more than a bargaining chip by him. I want my own life, to live my own way."she said, Adam quickly catching on.

"Ah, so you took the job of delivering the pardon, but also had an ulterior motive to coming here? Based on how calm you're acting, I can hazard a guess as to what that alternative motive is..."Adam said, knowing that he was somehow bang on with his deduction. Unsurprisingly, Weiss ended up nodding, stating, "I know you won't believe me when I tell you, but it's true." Taking a deep breath, she composed herself and revealed her true intentions...

* * *

"I want to join your Pirate Republic..."

* * *

 **A/N: And there we go! This story will focus on Adam and his friends trying to keep Beacon running, while coping with the results of Weiss joining them. I'll post chapter 2 after I upload this. Also, this story will be combing elements of both Pirates of the Carribbean, and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.**


	2. Laws of the Republic

**A/N: Welcome back to Gold Means Everything! This chapter will show Weiss turning from heiress to pirate. Also, I lifted a large part of Adam's speech from Black Flag, so see if you can find it. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTE** **R 2- Laws of the Republic**

Adam couldn't help but laugh after Weiss revealed her true intentions. This caused the heiress to glare at him, before he raised a hand to show he was sorry. "Apologies, but I find it a little hard to believe that the heiress to our biggest enemy wants to join us. Given the fact that your father's hunted many of us down, most of us here don't take kindly to your lot around here."he said, the heiress turning to one of her men and muttering, "Bring it out", causing Adam to furrow his brow in confusion, until he saw a giant wooden chest being heaved out of the belly of the Schnee vessel.

"I had a feeling you lot wouldn't accept me right away, so I decided to bring something that I hope will satisfy your needs,"Weiss said, quickly unlocking the chest and lifting the lid to reveal a mountain of gold, which she claimed as being, "Every single penny I've earned since I first started sailing is there, and now it's yours."Adam scrutinized her for a second, to see whether or not she was lying, before smiling and straightening himself up. "Well, it seems that's more than enough incentive for us, don't you agree, lads?"he asked to the gathered pirates, who cheered in response. "Well then..."he continued, turning back to the heiress and extending his hand for her to shake, "Welcome to Beacon, Miss Schnee!"

* * *

As Adam lead the heiress back towards the tavern, the remaining pirates were in discussion over what had just taken place on the dock. Most of them were in the attitude of "If there ain't gold to be made, count us out!", whereas some, such as Blake and Ryan, were actually thinking hard about it, and weren't 100% convinced about the heiress's intentions. "I feel as if it's too convenient." Blake said, her fellow captains nodding. "We took three Schnee galleons not two days ago, then the Ice Queen shows up claiming that she wants to turn pirate? Not buying it!" she continued, completely unaware that the girl in question was 100% sincere, and was having an interesting meeting with Beacon's founder at that exact moment...

* * *

 **At Beacon's famous Port's Tavern...**

"Well, Miss Schnee, it certainly is an interesting position that you've put us in, as it seems your arrival here is too convenient, seeing as three of my captains took down a trio of the Schnee Company's frigates not two days ago. Surely you knew about that." Adam said, as he led Weiss to the table that he had occupied that morning at the tavern, and she drew out a chair as he sat down and put his legs up on the table. "As hard as it seems to believe, Captain Robertson, I have only learned of the attack on the Schnee galleons this morning, when I was at least five minutes away from entering Beacon. Now, believe me or not, but I have fully turned my back on my father and his company. I don't intend to return, except for when I'm dead." Weiss said, Adam taking note of the fact her eyes remained fixed on him, signifying the truth in her statement. Signalling for the bartender to bring both of them a drink, Adam took his legs off of the table and leant towards Weiss. "Alright, I'll be willing to give you a chance, but first I need to ask you some things. That OK with you?"he asked, the former heiress nodding in reply.

"Right, first, your crew. Are they planning on turning pirate as well, or are you forcing them to stand by you?" Adam asked, Weiss simply rubbing the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "They're loyal to me, so if any of them are against the idea of me turning pirate, I would like for them to be allowed to leave with their lives."she said, Adam nodding in agreement, before he continued. "Second, your ship. Are you attached to it in any way?"he asked, Weiss shaking her head. "It's just a heap of wood and cloth. Why do you ask?"she demanded. "If you're fully planning on raiding the very ships of the Schnee Company you once sailed beside, we'll need to destroy the ship you came here on, so it looks like Beacon got the advantage over you, and pillaged it."Adam explained, causing Weiss to reply with a quick retort. "Which would cause my father to become enraged, possibly sending more ships here. That would be a threat to all the people who call this place home, wouldn't it?"she said, Adam scratching the shadow of a beard that had grown in his years of seafaring before answering. "Fair point. What would you suggest we do then?"he asked, Weiss taking a swig of her drink before answering him. "Let me keep the ship, until we find a new one for me to captain. Then, when all of my crew are on the new ship, blow the Schnee vessel up."she said, Adam nodding in response. "Ok, just one last thing. If you're going to be a permanent part of Beacon, you'll have to learn how things work around here. First, any gold you don't keep for yourself or give to your crew goes directly to the treasury of Beacon."he said, the heiress only nodding, as she was listening intently. "Second, we have a set of laws we abide by, to ensure everyone's happy and they don't try to kill each other."Adam continued, before he nodded to the bartender, who came over to the table carrying a small dusty book. Handing it to Weiss, the bartender quickly disappeared back into the tavern. "Read it, memorize it. Abide by those laws, and your stay here will be much more comfortable. Break them, and it's on your own head. Understood?"he asked, Weiss nodding, before the door to the tavern opened up, and the three members of Team RBY entered.

"Ahoy, lasses! Care to join us?"Adam asked, throwing a bottle of rum to each of the girls, who caught them one handed, before popping the corks off and taking a swig, while dragging a chair over to the table with their other hands. "Weiss, May I present to you, the three wonderful captains of..."Adam said, before he introduced each of the girls. "Ruby Rose!", causing Ruby to nod her head to Weiss, who nodded back. "Blake Belladonna!", which caused Blake to extend a hand to Weiss, who shook it while smiling. "And last but certainly not least, Yang Xiao Long!", which caused Yang to simply wave at Weiss, who nodded to acknowledge her presence. "These three are some of my oldest friends, as well as three of the most terrifying pirates I've ever met! In fact, those three Schnee galleons that were sunk before you arrived were sunk by these three here!"Adam said to Weiss, causing Team RBY to look at Adam in anger, as they feared the possible retribution of the former Schnee heiress. To all their surprise, however, Weiss simply smiled. "Then I must congratulate you all on a job well done! It can't have been easy though..."Weiss said, Yang simply waving a hand in boredom. "Ahhh, it's nothing we've not done before!"she said, causing Ruby to bonk her on the head. "What? It's true!" Yang said, rubbing the spot on her head where Ruby had hit her.

* * *

"Well, since you've been brought up to speed on everything you need to know, I need to go and speak to the crowd that has formed outside, Miss Schnee. They'll be wanting to know what my verdict is on allowing you a spot in our Pirate Republic."Adam said, before pushing his chair out and getting to his feet. He then walked to the tavern door, opened it, and walked out to meet the crowd. Immediately, they started to bombard him with questions. It got so bad, that Adam had to pull out a pistol and fire it into the air to cease the chatter. "Right, now that I can actually fucking talk, here's my verdict. Miss Weiss Schnee will be joining our Pirate Republic. She has made it clear that she has renounced the Schnee Company, and fully intends to pull her own weight. And finally, she's under my protection, so if any of you have a problem with her being here, you bring it to me. Understand?"Adam said, the crowd nodding at his request. "Good. Now excuse me..."he said, before opening the door to the tavern, and shouting Weiss over, as the crowd dispersed. "Guess you're part of the Republic now. Welcome. Now, you're coming with me."he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the docks.

* * *

"Where are we going?"Weiss asked, before Adam released her at the pier, where her ship was docked. "We're getting you that new ship, as an old friend of mine is returning soon, and I wouldn't like to see what he does to your ship when he does. So, the safer the better. Agreed?"he asked, Weiss nodding. "Alright, then let's go."he said, as he followed Weiss onto the deck of her ship. Within ten minutes of her giving the order to let the sail down, they were out of the cove, and on the open sea.

* * *

"Alright, Schnee, I have to ask this. Have you ever taken a ship before?"Adam asked, the fact that Weiss looked at her feet betraying her, making her answer clear. "Jeez, what am I going to do with you?"Adam said, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Alright, first things first..."he said, pulling a spyglass from his jacket and handing it to Weiss. "...Find a ship that you like the look of. All the kingdoms like to frequent these waters, so there's plenty of choice." He finished, Weiss nodding and putting the spyglass to her eye. After a good few seconds, she pointed and said, "That one." Taking the spyglass, Adam looked at the ship she indicated, smiling when he saw that it was a simple Atlesian brig, able to hold about the number of men currently on Weiss's ship. "Alright, seems we have a target. Now, we need to subdue it."Adam said, pocketing the spyglass. Immediately, Weiss set about on turning the ship to face the intended target. As the ship was quite a distance away, this gave Adam a chance to teach Weiss some more.

"Now remember, when taking a target, project authority, and demand respect that you would never give yourself. This weaves a spell over soft minds. For your enemies must always have in the back of their minds, the nagging feeling that you could snap at any moment, and unseam them from prick to sternum."Adam said, causing Weiss to look at him strangely. "What? It works! I'll show you..."he said, as they reached the Atlesian ship. As soon as they came up alongside it, Weiss gave the order to fire. The Atlesians never stood a chance, as the crew of Weiss's ship immediately leapt onto their vessel and started cutting them down. In the span of five minutes, most of the Atlesians had been killed, but a few were taken prisoner, and Adam and Weiss had lowered a plank to walk onto their captured prize. "Watch and learn..." Adam said, as he stood in front of Weiss's crew, before addressing the captured Atlesians.

* * *

"Greetings gentlemen!"He started as he walked around the ship. "I am Captain Robertson, and this..."he said, gesturing to Weiss and her men, "...is my crew! We're sailors like yourselves, yet quite unalike in our purpose! For we intend to take all that you own. Yet no harm shall befall any man so long as he remains at ease, is that clear?"he asked, stopping in front of the captured men, asking them all the same question, to no reply. Sighing, he asked, "Anyone speak Valesian here? Valeis?", which one terrified soldier answered with, "L...little bit." Turning to the man who answered, Adam said, "Tell your friends we're stealing your ship, and we won't hurt no one so long as everyone remains as still as a sandbar! You got that?"he asked, but his hopes were dashed when the soldier said, "Please do repeat?" This caused Adam to get mad. "Oh, for fucks sake..."he said, before shouting to Weiss's crew, "Lock them in the hold, and take everything that isn't nailed down!" Noticing Weiss was looking at him with the same look as before they attacked the ship, Adam simply shrugged, before pulling a soldier to his feet and dragging him off to the hold.

After he returned, he went to Weiss and said, "Congratulations, Weiss. The ship is yours! Are all your men on board?", Weiss nodding at his question. "Alright, then! Now for the prisoners. What do you want to do with them?"Adam asked, Weiss hesitating before she answered. "I'll make them part of my crew. If they refuse, I'll leave their fate to you."she said, causing Adam to smile. "Also, you'll need to appoint a quartermaster for your ship, so you'll have a second in command. Any ideas on who you want?" Adam asked, but Weiss shook her head. "I have nobody that jumps to mind."she said, causing Adam to scratch his jaw. "Well, it's traditional, but if you don't have a candidate, then I suppose I'll let it slide. Now, time to head back home, or you can continue to plunder ships. It's up to you."Adam said, causing Weiss to take the ship's wheel. "I feel like a bit more plunder. Sound good?"she asked, Adam smiling, before he nodded. "As you wish, Captain Schnee!"He said, before he looked out over the crew. "Well, what you waiting for? Get to work!"He shouted, causing the men to scramble around. Soon enough, the ship was heading to it's next target, thus starting what would become the legend of Weiss Schnee, the Ice Queen of Beacon...

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 **A/N: And Weiss is now a pirate. I already know what I'm going to do with this story, but I want to see if you can guess what will happen next. Review leaving your thoughts. See you next chapter. Madman out.**


	3. Mark of the Talon

**A/N: Welcome back! Not much of an announcement here, but I'm going to say that there is a big reveal in this chapter!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 3- Mark of the Talon**

Since that day, a week had passed, and Weiss had slowly started to gain the trust of the inhabitants of Beacon, especially gaining some close friends in Teams ARKS & RBY. Not too long after she had made her first act of piracy, she had sailed her ship, which she called the _Myrtenaster_ , back to Beacon, and she was given her own black flag to fly from the ship's mast. She fondly remembered the scene, and was sure she would never forget it.

* * *

 **1 week ago...**

"Well, I think that's all the loot for one day, eh Schnee?"Adam said, as the last of the Valesian ships disappeared below the waves. "Time to head back."Weiss said, stepping up to the wheel, and turning the ship back towards Beacon. They encountered no problems, and were soon anchored in the bay, and they disembarked onto the pier. Adam had then asked Weiss what she would call her ship, to which Weiss took a second, before replying with, " _Myrtenaster._ It was the name of my first rapier, which I lost at sea. Now, I have a bigger weapon. That's why I chose it." Adam smiled, before looking back at the ship. "The cannons are in a sorry state. They'll need fixing up. Ah, look who it is!"He said, turning as he heard someone approaching. Turning round, he saw it was Ruby. "Good haul, Schnee?"the red wearing captain asked, the former heiress nodding. "Good enough, but I fear some of the loot will go towards upgrading my cannons."she said, Ruby smiling before she grabbed Weiss's arm. "Good, as I need to get more ammunition! I can show you how to upgrade your ship. I'll be taking her for a bit, that OK with you, Adam?"she said, Adam nodding. "I have something to do anyway. Be gentle with her!"He shouted, as the two captains, were already leaving by the time he had nodded. "Women. Anyways, hey you!"He said, grabbing a crewman from his own ship who had just appeared next to him. Pulling a piece of cloth from his tunic, he handed it to the man, whispering in his ear, pointing upwards, and slipping him a few gold pieces. "Do this for me, and you'll have a belly full of rum tonight!"He said, the crewman smiling before he disappeared. "Alright, now to wait..."Adam thought, waiting for the Ice Queen to return...

After Ruby had taught Weiss how to upgrade and maintain her ship, she lead her back toward the pier, rambling on about how important a ship was to being a captain. "You have to constantly make sure your ship is up to snuff, as it's like a baby, you have to keep an ever watchful eye on it. Keep your crew happy as well, so they don't mutiny on you. That can be ugly!"Ruby said as they walked through Beacon, before she saw what Adam had done to the heiress's ship. Smiling, she grabbed Weiss's shoulders, and lead her down to where Adam stood. "I saw the amount of cargo that you used to make that cannon upgrade. Not a bad haul today. Keep this up, and Beacon will be the first city where men and women can live as God truly made them, easy and free. And all it takes is a few drops of blood, sweat, ..."she said, before pointing an arm up to the top of the mast, "...and a swatch of cloth!" Looking up, Weiss saw a black cloth with a white skull flying from her mast. She then heard Adam speak. "We fly no colours out here Weiss, but praise the lack of them. So let the Black Flag signal nothing but your allegiance to Man's natural freedoms. This one's yours."he said, raising a hand for Weiss to shake."Fly it proud." Taking his hand, Weiss simply said, "I will."

* * *

 **Back in the present day...**

"Yo, Ice Queen! You still there?"Ryan's voice said, snapping Weiss out of her recollections. "Sorry, got lost in thought. What were we talking about?"the girl asked, the whole table around her sniggering at her being caught off guard. "The word is, the Atlesian governor himself is fixing to receive a mass of gold from a nearby fort."Weiss heard Shannon say, as she had lain a map of the seas of Remnant on the table. The fact that it was the Atlesian governor himself, Weiss's interest was peaked. "Governor Ironwood himself? Sounds promising."she stated, causing the gathered pirates to murmur in agreement.

"The fort was built by the Schnee Company, so it can take a fair pounding. But if we manage to breach it, the gold's just sitting there, itching to be took!"Shannon said, which caused Adam to look at Kayleigh, who Weiss had learned was both his first mate and his wife, before nodding. "We need more men to attack that fort. We can't do it with only 8 of us between three ships. We need help."he said, just as the lookout outside yelled, "Ship sighted! It's the _Talon_!", causing the pirates inside the tavern to freeze, and look at Weiss in fear.

"Adam..."Kayleigh started, before Adam cut her off. "I know, I know! Weiss get that hair up, now!"He roared, Weiss quickly obeying, and putting her hair into a bun. "Alright, now..."Adam said, scanning the tavern, before he quickly reached his arm out and grabbed a tricorne hat off of a crewman that he saw on Ruby's ship. Jamming it on top of Weiss's head, Adam said, "Don't reveal your face until I give the all clear! Understand?", Weiss nodding, before Adam ushered the remaining pirates in the room to the pier. "Weiss, keep your head down! Follow me, but not too close!" With that, Adam led the group down to the pier, as the new arrival docked, and it's crew disembarked. At their head was a man that Weiss swore was an exact duplicate of Adam, only this one appeared to be older, maybe by a few years. As the man stepped up to Beacon's founder, there was a noticeable tension in the air, before the new arrival spoke. "You've gotten fat!"the man said, causing the gathered pirates to gasp, before Adam simply nodded down at the man's own belly, which caused the man to burst out laughing, Adam alongside him, before they embraced each other tightly. "Welcome back, brother! Good to see the seas haven't claimed you yet! But, if I may, you weren't expected back for at least another week. What causes such an early return, Jamie?"Adam said, causing his brother to release him, his face darkening. "There's a weed here at Beacon, and I've come to rip it out!"He said, which causes Weiss to tense up, as she knew what the man was on about.

* * *

"What are you talking about, Jamie?"Adam asked, even though he clearly knew what his brother was talking about. Jamie, seeing through his brother's attempt, scoffed. "Don't play stupid with me, Adam! There's a member of the Schnee family here at Beacon! And apparently, she's a part of the Republic! You know what we think about Schnees here, Adam! Let it be known, if I find her, I will have her head! Anyone who stands in my way will share her fate!"Jamie said, before he barged past the crowd that had gathered, before his first mate, a man called Cameron who none of the other pirates liked, walked past Adam, stating, "You know what the Schnees did to your brother in the past. Don't think he's joking now, as he's deadly serious.", before he walked off. Adam scowled, his fists clenching. "Those men are pricks!"he said to himself, before he turned to his fellow captains. Pointing to Weiss, he growled, "You do not go anywhere without another pirate present, understand?", the white haired girl nodding. "And for God's sake, keep that hair hidden!"Adam said, before he motioned for his fellow pirates to disperse. With that, they headed for the tavern, where they saw Jamie and Cameron talking.

Drawing a chair to his brother's table, Adam struck up a conversation with him, whilst his friends went to an empty table. Weiss tried her best to blend in, but she couldn't help but look over at Jamie who locked eyes with her. A smug grin spread on his face, before he pushed his chair back, and strode towards her, a hand going for his sword, but stopping short of drawing it. "Take your hat off, miss. I've not seen you around here, and I'd like to know the face of Beacon's newest member. So I'll ask again. Take it off!"Jamie said, his voice quiet, which Adam knew he wasn't in a good mood. Looking at the members of Team ARKS and RBY, all of which shook their heads, Weiss lifted her hands to the hat she wore, and lifted it, revealing her white hair, causing Jamie and Cameron to immediately draw their swords. "Well, it seems you were bullshitting me, Adam! There is a Schnee here, and now she'll meet her fate!"Jamie shouted, raising his sword, but before he could bring it down, he heard the sound of a pistol being cocked. Turning round, he saw his brother aiming one at him. "Put it down, Jamie."Adam said, before nodding to the rest of his team, who quickly ushered Weiss away, leaving only Adam, Jamie, Cameron and Team RBY in the tavern. "You three, allow me to have a chat with my brother for a moment, will ya?"Adam asked, not even tearing his eyes away from his brother, as Ruby lead her sister and Blake away.

* * *

"You wouldn't shoot me, Adam. You don't have the stones to do it. And besides, she's a Schnee! I'm shocked you didn't kill her the day she arrived!"Jamie said, after the girls left. "Aye, I'm protecting a Schnee, because she's joined the Republic! And you know we don't kill other pirates, Jamie! Weiss there has brought more gold in for Beacon in the week she's been here than you bring in in a month! So, sheathe your swords, you two, and I'll lower this!"Adam said, causing Jamie to look at Cameron, who nodded. Sheathing their weapons, Adam spun his pistol into it's holster, before he sat back down. "Now, I know you harbor a grudge against the Schnees for your...injury, Jamie,"Adam said, before he continued. "...But you'll have to learn to put up with Weiss."he said, Jamie and Cameron scoffing at his statement. "Fine, but as soon as you let your guard down around her, she dies! I don't care who sees me do it, for the safety of Beacon..."Jamie said, which caused Adam to cut him off, "I'll decide what's right for the safety of Beacon, Jamie. Don't forget your place.", which shut Jamie up, but not Cameron, who was never known to hold his tongue. "Then perhaps Beacon needs a new leader..."was all he managed to say, before Adam stood up and punched him. "Beacon will only get a new leader when I'm at the bottom of the ocean."Adam said, before he headed towards the tavern door, but he stopped short,and turned to his fellow pirates. "Just remember, if you were anyone else, I would have shot you, Jamie. I gave you a place at Beacon, but I can just as easily take it away."Adam said, before he left the tavern.

* * *

As Cameron picked himself up, he spoke to his captain, who he knew shared his thoughts. "He's become weak. Things need to change around here. Your brother he may be, but Beacon needs a leader that will always keep to the laws that are set. Someone like you."Cameron said, causing Jamie to think on his words for a second, before he nodded. "Soon, but first, we deal with Schnee."Jamie said, before he raised his tankard of rum to Cameron who did the same. "To Beacon?"Jamie asked, Cameron smiling before he replied, "To Beacon." With that, they clanged their tankards together, and emptied them in one gulp, then slammed them on the table. "Right, we should go see what our fellow captains are planning. C'mon."Jamie said, rising to his feet, his first mate following him.

* * *

After they found Adam and the remaining captains, up at the fort on Beacon's hill, Jamie shot Weiss a glare, but Adam shot him one as well, which made him pull up a chair, and he and Cameron sat on the opposite side of the room. "So, what target are you lot stalking now?"Jamie asked, placing his feet on a table, as well as gaining a glare from every other pirate in the room, except Cameron, before Adam responded with, "If you must know,we are planning to attack a nearby fort and rob the gold Governor Ironwood is expecting to receive from it. Only problem is, we can't launch such an attack with only the eight of us between three ships. We need more men." This caused Jamie to pull his feet off the table, and straightening up on his chair. "Well, it seems you've got the captain for the job!"He said, before he looked to Cameron, who got to his feet himself. Stepping over to the room's map table, Jamie saw the area that Shannon had marked to show how far the fort's mortars could reach. "Alright, I'll gather my crew and meet you there. You taking your ship?"he asked Adam, who nodded. Jamie then turned to Cameron, nodded, then both of them left the room.

* * *

After Jamie had left the room, Team RBY looked at Adam, but the dark look on his face told them all that they should shut up and get to work. With that, the three girls left to go get their ship ready to leave. This left Weiss and Team ARKS in the room. Weiss hesitated for a second, before a nagging thought entered her head. "Adam? I couldn't help but notice that you kept talking about more ships than _Myrtenaster, Crescent Rose_ & the _Talon._ You have your own ship?"she asked, causing the rest of ARKS to look at her angrily, before the man in question smiled. Standing up, he offered a hand to Weiss, which was taken quickly, before he pulled her to her feet. "Come with us."he ordered, before he led his fellow pirates to a hidden cove built into the side of Beacon's cliff. As he lit a torch, before entering, Ryan pulled Weiss to one side and asked her, "Tell me, Weiss. What do you know about the ship called the _Shadow_?" As he said the name, Weiss gasped. "The Black Ship? I've heard stories. Attacks rarely, but it leaves few survivors. Apparently, the ship has been around for a long time, before pirates were much of a threat, but that's impossible, isn't it?"she asked, Ryan simply indicated to the cave, which Weiss knew she should enter.

After she clambered over many jagged rocks, she found Adam standing next to a large vat filled with some sort of liquid, half of his face covered in darkness, half illuminated by his torch. "Weiss, there's something I've been keeping from you since you joined us here at Beacon, for fear of how you'd react. You know how they call me the most feared pirate in Remnant?" Adam asked, Weiss nodding, while remaining silent. "Well, there's a reason for that, which you're just about to see. But I have to ask: Are you 100% certain you're a defender of Man's freedom?"he asked, which caused Weiss to hesitate, before she nodded. This caused Adam to smile, before he touched the torch to the liquid in the vat. Immediately, the liquid ignited, also lighting a trail of the same liquid that ran up a series of half pipes on the wall, igniting various braziers that were located on the wall around the vast cave. As the last brazier was lit, Weiss saw that in the middle of the cave, was a large frigate, with at least 20 cannons on each side, a black model of a shade, a fabled hooded creature associated with death as the ship's figurehead, and a black flag with an open book with the words "We Know All" below it flying from the mast. But the ship's most striking feature, was the large black sails, that were featuring a large skull on each of them. Just the pure sight of it made Weiss feel weak. Turning to Adam and Team ARKS, she asked them, her voice shaking: "You...You're the...?", before Adam nodded. "Aye, that's what you think it is. Team ARKS are the four captains of the Black Ship, also known as the _Shadow."_ he said, before Weiss collapsed from exhaustion, but Adam and Kayleigh moved to catch her.

"Easy there, Ice Queen."Kayleigh said, before she looked to her husband, who was giving orders to the other two members of ARKS. "Get Weiss to her ship. Then get back here."he said before Ryan and Shannon helped Kayleigh get Weiss to her feet, and then led her out of the cove. "Think she'll be alright?"Kayleigh asked, causing Adam to simply shrug, before they entered the captain's cabin, and opened a cabinet on the wall. After pulling out a black coat and hat, Adam changed into his new outfit. "Right. Let's go get some gold."he said, placing the hat on his head, as the _Shadow's_ crew arrived, Ryan and Shannon at their head. "Alright, men! I want the ship sailing within five minutes!"Adam shouted, causing the crew to scramble. Within the allotted time, Adam's crew had the ship sailing out the cove, and soon enough, the _Shadow_ caught up to the _Talon_ , _Crescent Rose_ , and _Myrtenaster._

* * *

As Adam pulled up alongside the _Crescent Rose_ , where his fellow pirates were gathered, he shouted over to them. "Ready, you lot?" His fellow pirates cheered in confirmation. "Alright, then! Let's get this show on the road! Full canvas!"He shouted, his fellow captains roaring in anticipation of the upcoming battle. Soon, the 4 ships were in firing distance of the fort. Immediately, Jamie's ship went into battle, and the first volley of cannon fire was ordered...

* * *

 **A/N: And I bet that big reveal you all saw coming! I wouldn't have introduced that concept if it didn't serve a purpose. As for the character of Adam, I'm imagining him as a combination of Benjamin Hornigold and Blackbeard from ACIV:Black Flag, as well as Jack Sparrow from PoTC. Anyways, see you lot next chapter. Madman out.**


End file.
